Moldovan president signs law to approve "Romanian language"

Moldovan President Maia Sandu said on March 22 that she had signed a law replacing the phrase "Moldovan language" with "the Romanian language" when referring to the state language in all official documents, including the constitution.

On March 23, the Moldovan parliament approved a bill to refer to the state language as Romanian by a majority of votes. The amendment will be reflected in the country's constitution.

"Today I signed a law that confirms a historic and undeniable truth: the Romanian language is Moldova's state language," Sandu wrote on social media, Urdu Point informs.

The leader added that the decision to agree on Romanian as the only name for the national language could consolidate the nation.

"Those who have been telling us for decades that we, the citizens of Moldova, speak the 'Moldovan' language rather than Romanian have pursued only one goal, which is to divide us.

It is because once you have divided the nation, it is easier to subdue and control it," the president stated.

The language of the Moldovans has historically been identified by both terms. During Soviet times, the designation "Moldovan" was the only one officially recognized. Currently, the word "Romanian" is favored by those who support Moldova's integration with the European Union and NATO, whereas "Moldovan" is supported by those who seek close ties with Russia. In 2003, the parliament of Moldova adopted a law defining Moldovan and Romanian as glottonyms for the same language.

In 2013, the Constitutional Court of Moldova ruled that Romanian is the state language in the country, in accordance with the 1991 Moldovan Declaration of Independence. At the same time, the country's constitution uses the word "Moldovan" when referring to the country's official language.